Friday, 9 March 2012

Nature, red in tooth and claw with ravine

That line, that brilliant line, is from Tennyson's "In Memoriam". And when we were with our Bible student on Thursday morning, we were reading those lovely verses from the Hebrew prophet Isaiah that assure us that nature will not stay this way.

We read Isaiah 65:25, which says: “The wolf and the lamb themselves will feed as one, and the lion will eat straw just like the bull; and as for the serpent, his food will be dust. They will do no harm nor cause any ruin in all my holy mountain,” Jehovah has said."

We will have nothing to fear from the animals - they will have nothing to fear from us - and they will have nothing to fear from each other. Our student was amazed at the idea of the lion becoming a grazing animal, so we asked him to look at the first chapter of Genesis.

We read Genesis 1:29,30: "And God went on to say: “Here I have given to you all vegetation bearing seed which is on the surface of the whole earth and every tree on which there is the fruit of a tree bearing seed. To you let it serve as food. And to every wild beast of the earth and to every flying creature of the heavens and to everything moving upon the earth in which there is life as a soul I have given all green vegetation for food.” And it came to be so."

This was not a world where nature was "red in tooth and claw". This was Paradise - a perfect world, ruled by the law of loving-kindness. And what the Inspired Scriptures promise us is a restoration of that world.

Our student seemed amazed by the harmony of the Bible. As I remember being when I did my initial Bible study all those years ago.

We were there for nearly two hours. Then I rushed home to open a tin of lunch for me and Col, and went to meet L at the Kingdom Hall carpark. We had a part in the school Thursday night and needed to practise it. We then did about 45 minutes on the doors.

The Kingdom Hall car park was full of workmen. When Steve dropped me back there I found my car was blocked in by a large whirring machine. Thursday night was our last Ministry School at the old Kingdom Hall so, it was a privilege to have a part in the school.

The butterfly memberships for February flew through the letterbox today, so it has been a day of paperwork, but all the packages are now set to be taken to the Post Office as soon as I have a moment. Actually - and appropriately - Captain Butterfly might take them there tomorrow morning, as I hope to be out on the field service.

Talked to Dan about the hard copy of "Old Playgrounds", which should take about another month. And talked to Bea about her visit, and then to Jacks so we could liaise our get togethers while Bea is here.